NEW YEAR, NEW JEWELLERY… A GUIDE TO CARING FOR YOUR JEWELS

JANUARY 23, 2015

So, hopefully you were given a fabulous piece of Stonechat jewellery for Christmas! And no doubt you want to wear it as much as possible. Understandably, you also want to keep it looking shiny and new too.

It’s a great idea to treat your jewellery well from the very start. The good news is that, the more you wear pieces, the better – after all, they are made to be enjoyed! That said, a little bit of love and care goes a long way. Each Stonechat piece is handmade, and all gemstones and diamonds are set by hand – this is a real luxury!

So to keep your life simple and make it easy to keep your jewellery looking its best, we’ve come up with a few pointers for you…

AT HOME

When you’re wearing your jewellery:

Don’t smother it – hairspray, perfumes, moisturisers, make-up and other beauty products will leave a residue on jewellery, or could damage the finish. Pop your jewellery on AFTER using any beauty products.
Let it breathe – chemicals in cleaning products, chlorine in swimming pools and sea salt are all jewellery nasties, so give them a wide berth.
Heavy labour – take your jewellery off when getting your hands dirty, especially in the case of rings. You wouldn’t want them to take an unnecessary knock.
Pearls hate water – keep them dry at all costs!

When you’re not wearing your jewellery…

Don’t throw it around – store your jewellery carefully in airtight individual boxes, away from direct sunlight – definitely not in the boot of the car or the bottom of a handbag!
A bit of space – avoid jumbling up various pieces of jewellery together. This will prevent scratching, tangling and discolouration. Tissue paper is good, as long as it’s clear that it’s not an old tissue that will get thrown out! We love boxes instead of pouches as they are stronger and pieces are not squashed. The right sized box will also protect a neckwire or chain by keeping it flat and maintaining the original shape.

A BIT OF A SCRUB

Good news – the more you wear your jewellery, the better it’ll look, as tarnish (or discolouration) won’t have much of a chance to build up.
But….. silver in particular will react to sulphur dioxide in the air, and this can cause some tarnishing. Help is at hand – dipping pieces into warm water and washing up liquid can work wonders (as does a little bit of dishwashing!) to get rid of this. Brushing gently with an old soft toothbrush will help shift any dirt. Do remember to use the plug though – you don’t want to have to pull the U bend apart! In general silver dip or polishing cloths can also do the trick – in all cases don’t forget to rinse the piece afterwards though!!! If you have any doubts about immersing gemstones or diamonds in silver dip, don’t hesitate in contacting us.
And other metals? The washing up liquid trick also works well on yellow gold, white gold, platinum, etc. – dry well afterwards and buff with an old cotton tshirt.
There’s always an exception to the rule – pearls hate water! Pop into us so that we can clean them for you.
Love me tender – in the same way that you service your car, a jewellery NCT is an excellent idea, especially on hardworking pieces like engagement rings. We recommend that jewellery with settings be checked, cleaned and refinished every 18-24 months – they’ll come back to you as good as new! Pop into us and we’ll be able to organise this for you.
Textures and time – textures do wear away with time, but that’s no biggie. Pieces can be retextured when being checked.
Just in case – in the unlikely event of a repair, just come in to us.

4 REASONS TO LOVE STONECHAT

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